For Julie Van Winkle, one of Unity Point's Title I Reading Specialists, every time a struggling reader finally breaks through, when letters transform into words, her passion is reignited after more than two decades of service to the district. Her journey began in 1998, fresh from student teaching, when she was given an opportunity to work with kindergarten students who needed extra support before moving on to first grade.

"I was housed in the same room as a reading specialist," Julie recalls. "When she was absent, I subbed for her. I decided right then and there that this is what I want to do and this is where I want to do it."

That decisive moment has shaped not just Julie's career, but the reading lives of countless Unity Point students. Julie works with students across all grade levels, from Pre-K through eighth grade, providing intensive reading support for those who need more than what they can receive in the regular classroom.

Julie's approach is deeply personal and intentional. She works with small groups of up to three students at a time, meeting with them for 30-minute sessions at least three times per week. These aren't random groupings – students are carefully placed together based on grade level or grade bands, with fifth and sixth graders paired together, and seventh and eighth graders forming another group.

"I go wherever the need is for reading support," Julie explains. Her day involves walking students to and from their regular classrooms to her specialized space. Those transition walks aren't just logistics – they're relationship-building opportunities. "We're able to have little conversations, and that helps me connect with them and get to know them."

Currently, Julie can work with up to 28 students, while her colleague Brynn Freed handles a similar caseload. They're supported by Hunter Denny, a talented new teacher who splits her time between reading and math interventions, focusing on students who need support but not the most intensive intervention.

Julie's work is grounded in comprehensive assessment. Three times per year – in late August, January, and early May – she and her team conduct school-wide benchmark testing.

"We look for outliers," Julie says, describing how data helps identify students who might need additional support. But the magic happens when this data meets classroom observation. Teachers spend the same period getting to know their students through daily interactions, creating what Julie describes as "very meaningful conversations where we're showing up on the same page – one coming from a data perspective and one coming from the classroom perspective."

What sets Unity Point apart for Julie isn't just the academic work – it's the deep community connections. After 25 years in the district, she now works with children of her former students, creating multi-generational relationships that enrich her teaching.

"I get to know families over the years," she reflects. "I know grandparents and things like that. It just makes it a rich experience for me."

This community connection deepened during COVID-19, when Julie found herself virtually entering students' homes for remote learning sessions. She remembers using a cardboard unicorn cutout to capture the attention of a kindergartener who had never met her in person but loved unicorns. That personal touch, that willingness to meet students where they are, exemplifies Julie's approach.

During the pandemic, Julie also organized a book drive, providing each of her students with about ten carefully selected books and delivered them to students’ homes – not just easy readers, but engaging, high-quality books matched to their interests and reading levels.

Julie's commitment to Unity Point extends beyond her specialist role. She serves on the high school board, a position she's held for nine years, allowing her to see the full educational journey of her students from those early reading interventions through graduation and beyond.

"I get to be there when they graduate from high school," she says with evident pride. "I go to academic awards nights and I get to see students that I worked with at a small table earning academic scholarships to go on."

Unity Point represents more than a workplace for Julie – it's a community where relationships matter, where growth is nurtured, and where every child's reading journey is valued. "I feel very fortunate to be here to do what I do, where I do it, and with whom I get to do it," she reflects.